The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, on Friday, denied recurring claims by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that he collected N1bn from a presidential aspirant.
Ayu said he never collected N1bn from anyone and that when he assumed office as the chairman and needed to raise money for the party, former Vice-President and now the party’s presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn but that after deliberations, the National Working Committee rejected the idea.
He said he refrained from commenting on Wike’s allegations against him to avoid public altercations that could complicate matters for the party.
Wike had in a media chat on September 23 accused Ayu of collecting N1bn from a presidential aspirant, which according to him, aided the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
“Can Ayu deny that he did not collect N1bn from Lagos? He told one of the PDP presidential aspirants before the primaries that the governors were not ready to fund the party,” he said, claiming that he knew “how the money was arranged and those involved in packaging the money. He N1bn; let him come out to tell Nigerians (that) it is not true and I will reveal more.”
In his latest media chat on Friday, the governor said he stood by his claim, alleging further that the party chairman collected N100m from a governor to renovate the Peoples Democratic Institute, a subsidiary of the party, and that he turned round to collect the same amount from the party.
But responding to the governor’s claims during a press briefing at the end of a special Board of Trustees meeting at the party’s headquarters after the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, had submitted the report of his reconciliation committee, Ayu said the consistent attacks on his person were unfortunate.
He stated, “When my BoT chairman talks, I am not supposed to say anything more. But since these allegations have persisted, I want to use this opportunity to clear the air. When the first allegation was made about the N1bn, I decided not to respond because we don’t want to cause altercations in the party.
“However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the national chairman of this party, collect any N1bn from anybody.
“So, I state that I never collected N1bn from anybody. Also, the N100m that was donated by one of the governors has been judiciously used for the purpose (for which) it was given. In the next few weeks, we will be inviting all party leaders, including members of the press, for the inauguration of the PDI.
“When we came in and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank. The owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now.
“When we discussed it with him, we discarded the idea and the party never took any loan or any money from anybody. I, as a person, never collected N1bn from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the National Working Committee and handed over to the national treasurer of the party.”
He stressed that the party remained transparent in its financial dealings and it would not renege on its promise to present its audited account to the public by December.
Ayu also spoke on Wike’s allegation that he collected N100m from a governor and the party to relocate the PDI.
“Ayu collected N100m from a governor. Let him (Ayu) say no that it is not true and I will tell you the governor. These are things people don’t know,” the governor had said during Friday’s media chat.
In his response, Ayu stated, “Luckily, I had fully briefed the board that one of our governors made a contribution of N100m to the revival of the Peoples Democratic Institute, which was housed in a portakabin. And we explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro; we have renovated it and furnished it.
“Two or three days ago, we went there to inspect the place and the NWC decided that even before inauguration, we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his money. I am happy to state that the national secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor.
“So, it is not true. Neither I nor the NWC ever took any money belonging to the party to carry out the renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100m, which was donated by one of the governors.”
‘Spare my family’
Meanwhile, the party chairman has asked Wike to leave his family out of the issues in the party.
He was reacting to the statement by Wike that if he revealed all he knew about Ayu, his children would disown him.
“If not for the love of this party, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will tell him that ‘you are no longer our daddy,’” Wike said during the media chat.
But Ayu stated, “The consistent attacks on my person since the end of the (special) convention on May 31 are deliberate and unfortunate. I have restrained myself from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt that I should encourage reconciliation.
“But where it touches on my personal integrity, of which even my own family members are brought into play, it is incumbent upon me to reply.”
He appealed to aggrieved party chieftains to spare his family members in their quarrels with him and the leadership of the party.
‘Resign after polls’
The reconciliation committee of the PDP of Trustees on Friday submitted its report to the party, recommending among others, that the party’s national chairman should give assurance that he would resign after the 2023 general elections.
Sunday PUNCH had exclusively reported on October 9 that the BoT reconciliation committee resolved that Ayu should retain his seat till after the 2023 elections and that the party should makes moves to placate the aggrieved members.
The resolution signed by the BoT Chairman, Wabara, noted that people had been wronged on both sides, but that party leaders and people close to them should desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews on the matter.
It also called on the presidential candidate to review the list of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments for inclusivity.
It stated, “The BoT called on all the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum (Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State) to convene a meeting of the forum without further delay; called on all leaders of the party to match words with action, and where commitments are made, to unconditionally fulfil the same.
“(The BoT) urged the national chairman as an eminent leader to give a firm assurance that he will resign his position after the 2023 elections. In the same vein, the BoT chairman has been authorised to offer apologies on behalf of all members who feel maligned or aggrieved by the public statements made by its members nationwide that has sharpened the current division in the party.
“Finally, the BoT will refer some of these recommendations for noting and appropriate action to NEC of the party in due course.”
In his remarks while submitting the report, Wabara urged party members to make necessary sacrifices for the sake of peace.
“We carried out our assignment with an open mind; 2023 is for the PDP to win or lose. A lot of ego has been hurt on both sides. Our position is advisory and if we are indeed the conscience of the party, then we should be free, fair and courageous. The situation requires a little bit of sacrifice and understanding,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by former Minister of Works, Tanimu Turaki; Shuaibu Oyedokun, Ibrahim Idris, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Esther Uduehi and Zainab Maina.
Ayu appreciated the BoT members for their peace moves.
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The party has been enmeshed in internal rift since its presidential convention in May when Wike expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. The crisis deepened when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State was named the vice-presidential candidate of the party.
Wike had insisted on Ayu’s resignation before he and other aggrieved governors would make peace with the party. He noted that it was against justice and equity for the party’s national chairman and presidential candidate to come from the same region, which is the North.
He called on Ayu to respect his pledge before the primaries that he would step aside if a northerner emerged as the presidential candidate.
Wike said on Friday, “We had not done our primaries and a man came out and said if the presidential candidate came from his area, he would quit. Honour it! It is integrity and part of the hallmark of leadership is integrity. If he cannot do that, how can you tell Nigerians that anything the PDP tells you, we will do it?
“You are a party that wants to take over the reins of governance in the country and you don’t have integrity. You are presenting a man, the chairman of the party, who has no integrity. For the country to understand, we should mean what we say.”
Respect zoning – Wike
The governor also condemned claims that the national chairman could remain in office until after the elections. He lamented, “Section 7(3c) of the constitution of our party says all party and elective offices must be zoned. That is why we were clamouring for the zoning to be done and the chairmanship went to the North. But they said the presidency should not be zoned contrary to the provision of Section 7(3c).
“You see where we have brought ourselves in? The two major positions have now gone to the same zone. Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate. He is the one that feels the pain. What will you tell me at this level that it is when you finish the election that the chairmanship will go to the South? What is the role of the chairman? Atiku will go for an election in February. If he wins, he will start considering who? He won’t wait till May because decisions would have been made.”
The governor also denied claims that campaigns were put on hold to enable former governors, Peter Odili and James Ibori, and a former Senate President, David Mark, to intervene in the crisis between him and the leadership of the party.
“Where do you get this information? I don’t know and I am not aware. Nobody has even reached out to me. The last people I saw were the Board of Trustees (members) and I asked them if they would like to hear the truth. They said yes! When I told them, it was difficult for them to stand up,” Wike stated.
He however reserved special praise for Odili, a former governor of Rivers State, calling him “a very reasonable father.”
He stated, “He (Odili) is a very respectable and reasonable father. Before he advises you, he knows this is right, this is wrong. If the PDP goes to tell him lies, he won’t do that (persuade him to give peace a chance). He is not a father that you think if you just go to him, he will call his son and say, ‘Come and do this.’”
Wike also fired a shot at some PDP former governors, urging them to emulate Odili in their dealings with the party.
“Have you seen him (Odili) among the former governors as a member of the Former Governors’ Forum? Do you see him staying in Abuja? He is here (Port Harcourt). You don’t have to be important by running around people. I want to be important in my state because I can deliver votes. If the PDP wants anything, they have to come to my state and talk to me, not because of my voice in the Former Governors’ Forum.”
Campaign council reacts
Meanwhile, spokesmen for the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Daniel Bwala and Charles Aniagwu, expressed optimism that Wike and his allies would soon join hands with Atiku to win the presidential election and rescue the country in 2023.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Aniagwu said in spite of the disagreements, the party remained united.
He added, “The party is a united family; we don’t have factions in the PDP. What we have are individuals voicing out what they would like to happen and this is allowed in a democracy.
“Beyond the fact that the majority will always have their way in a democracy, Atiku wants a situation where everyone will come on board. He is not interested in the majority having their way. That is why you are seeing a lot of peace moves, with our elders and leaders impressing it on those who may not be too happy with what has happened to please sheath their sword. We are quite optimistic that those who are not on board now will soon come on board.”
Similarly, Bwala said, “We are quite optimistic that the disagreements will be over soon.”
‘Wike’s doors open’
Reacting to the BoT’s recommendation that Ayu should leave after the election, a close ally of Wike and former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbonna Nwuke, said the five aggrieved governors would not shift their position that the party chairman should resign to pave the way for a southerner to replace him. He however said they would continue to open their doors for dialogue.
He stated, “Dialogue is at the centre of all politics. It is not surprising that despite the insincerity demonstrated by the candidate and his supporters, leaders of the G5 (five governors) have continued to open their doors for dialogue.
“Our leaders believe it is the best way to get the message out and to secure the understanding required to drive negotiations. So, the door is open to welcome all manner of persons who seek peace. But to have peace, you must have justice, fairness and equity.
“The G5 is not shifting from its position that Ayu should go. It is not about Ayu as a person even though he has not shown good qualities in office. It is about the interest of the South. Remove Ayu, persuade Ayu to step down and the G5 leaders will be back in the fold. Without a resolution of the core issue, the G5 leaders will not be expected to participate in the campaign of Atiku Abubakar.”